Recently, Shahvar wrote, composed and sang a song “No Saazish, No Jung” (no conspiracy, no war) – which you can download at – http://www.shahvaralikhan.com/

I’m thrilled that it’s getting some media attention even without a video. There was a piece in Instep, The News on Sunday, Pakistan on July 06, 2009, and this piece in Times of India, July 14, 2009 – ‘Now a song for Indo-Pak peace’ –http://tinyurl.com/TOI-Shahvar

Below, text of the Press Trust of India report of July 7, 2009 published in Indian papers:

Pak singer puts Gandhi, Jinnah together in appeal for peace

Islamabad (PTI): A Pakistani singer has combined the voices of Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto and US President Barack Obama in a new song that makes an impassioned plea for peace in the region.

Shahvaar Ali Khan’s “No Saazish, No Jung” is a peace anthem that tells “mullahs” and “foreigners” to leave his country alone.

Khan, 25, said he plans to make a video based on the song. “I plan to shoot the video in Mumbai so that it will be an India-Pakistan peace initiative,” he said.

He is in touch with several Indian directors and is also looking for sponsors and TV channels to back the video so that it can be ready for release by the time Pakistan and India celebrate their independence days on August 14 and 15 respectively.

The song combines excerpts from speeches by Gandhi, Jinnah, Bhutto and Obama.

The voice of Gandhi can be heard intoning “…in the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth truth persists, in the midst of darkness light persists”.

3 Responses

Drawing a parallel between MK Gandhi and MA Jinnah is just like pitting a ‘political ascetic’ with a ‘political aspirant’. It may not go down well with Indians and the modern historians around the world. Even the overwhelming majority of Indian Muslims do not see Mr. Jinnah and Gandhi on the same plane, though Indians have recognized that the former is revered as the father of Pakistani Nation.

…1. I feel there is “no parallel” that has been drawn here. The idea is to appropriate “plural” and pro-peace thoughts from leaders that matter to the respective nationalities – Pakistani, Indian, the NRP/I diaspora.

2. Gandhi Ji’s global stature cannot be challenged by anyone. However, I think Indians have to empathize the iconic status that Quaid-e-Azam M.A Jinnah enjoys in Pakistan. My song is rooted in ‘relativism’. As a Pakistani in fact I think I have tried to go against the grain by acknowledging Gandhi Ji’s place in history, which is denied in the ‘conjured’ history that is taught to us (likewise u guys are taught that Jinnah sb. was a villain that broke your country…).

3. My song is for the youth who I feel have the ability to re-imagine a (new) world detached from arcane cliche’s….a world where Gandhi is given his fair due in Pakistan and Jinnah sb. is respected in India. A world where we can simply agree to disagree…That time is around the corner…mark my words!

4. Gandhi JI and Benazir Bhutto have both also been included because they were both ironically are victims of right-wing fascist extremism and terrorism…